Protein kinases constitute one of the largest families of human enzymes and regulate many different signaling processes by adding phosphate groups to proteins; particularly tyrosine kinases phosphorylate proteins on the alcohol moiety of tyrosine residues. The tyrosine kinase family includes members that control cell growth, migration, and differentiation. Abnormal kinase activity has been implicated in a variety of human diseases including cancers, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Since protein kinases are among the key regulators of cell signaling they provide a means to modulate cellular function with small molecule inhibitors of kinase activity and thus make good drug design targets. In addition to treatment of kinase-mediated disease processes, selective and efficacious inhibitors of kinase activity are also useful for investigation of cell signaling processes and identification of other cellular targets of therapeutic interest.
The JAKs (JAnus Kinases) are a family of cytoplasmic protein tyrosine kinases including JAK1, JAK2, JAK3 and TYK2. Each of the JAKs is preferentially associated with the intracytoplasmic portion of discrete cytokine receptors (Annu. Rev. Immunol. 16 (1998), pp. 293-322). The JAKs are activated following ligand binding and initiate signaling by phosphorylating cytokine receptors that, per se, are devoid of intrinsic kinase activity. This phosphorylation creates docking sites on the receptors for other molecules known as STAT proteins (signal transducers and activators of transcription) and the phosphorylated JAKs bind various STAT proteins. STAT proteins, or STATs, are DNA binding proteins activated by phosphorylation of tyrosine residues, and function both as signaling molecules and transcription factors and ultimately bind to specific DNA sequences present in the promoters of cytokine-responsive genes (Leonard et al., (2000), J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 105:877-888).
JAK/STAT signaling has been implicated in the mediation of many abnormal immune responses such as allergies, asthma, autoimmune diseases such as transplant (allograft) rejection, rheumatoid arthritis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and multiple sclerosis, as well as in solid and hematologic malignancies such as leukemia and lymphomas.
Thus, the JAKs and STATs are components of multiple potentially intertwined signal-transduction pathways (Oncogene 19 (2000), pp. 5662-5679), which indicates the difficulty of specifically targeting one element of the JAK-STAT pathway without interfering with other signal transduction pathways.
The JAK kinases, including JAK3, are abundantly expressed in primary leukemic cells from children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the most common form of childhood cancer, and studies have correlated STAT activation in certain cells with signals regulating apoptosis (Demoulin et al., (1996), Mol. Cell. Biol. 16:4710-6; Jurlander et al., (1997), Blood. 89:4146-52; Kaneko et al., (1997), Clin. Exp. Immun. 109:185-193; and Nakamura et al., (1996), J. Biol. Chem. 271: 19483-8). They are also known to be important to lymphocyte differentiation, function and survival. JAK3 in particular plays an essential role in the function of lymphocytes, macrophages, and mast cells. Given the importance of this JAK kinase, compounds which modulate the JAK pathway, including those selective for JAK3, can be useful for treating diseases or conditions where the function of lymphocytes, macrophages, or mast cells is involved (Kudlacz et al., (2004) Am. J. Transplant 4:51-57; Changelian (2003) Science 302:875-878). Conditions in which targeting of the JAK pathway or modulation of the JAK kinases, particularly JAK3, are contemplated to be therapeutically useful include, leukemia, lymphoma, transplant rejection (e.g., pancreas islet transplant rejection, bone marrow transplant applications (e.g., graft-versus-host disease), autoimmune diseases (e.g., diabetes), and inflammation (e.g., asthma, allergic reactions). Conditions which can benefit for inhibition of JAK3 are discussed in greater detail below.
However, in contrast to the relatively ubiquitous expression of JAK1, JAK2 and Tyk2, JAK3 has a more restricted and regulated expression. Whereas some JAKs (JAK1, JAK2, Tyk2) are used by a variety of cytokine receptors, JAK3 is used only by cytokines that contain a yc in their receptor. JAK3, therefore, plays a role in cytokine signaling for cytokines which receptor was shown to date to use the common gamma chain; IL-2, IL-4, IL-7, IL-9, IL-15 and IL-21. JAK1 interacts with, among others, the receptors for cytokines IL-2, IL-4, IL-7, IL-9 and IL-21, while JAK2 interacts with, among others, the receptors for IL-9 and TNF-alpha. Upon the binding of certain cytokines to their receptors (e.g., IL-2, IL-4, IL-7, IL-9, IL-15 and IL-21), receptor oligomerization occurs, resulting in the cytoplasmic tails of associated JAK kinases being brought into proximity and facilitating the trans-phosphorylation of tyrosine residues on the JAK kinase. This trans-phosphorylation results in the activation of the JAK kinase.
Animal studies have suggested that JAK3 not only plays a critical role in B and T lymphocyte maturation, but that JAK3 is constitutively required to maintain T cell function. Modulation of immune activity through this novel mechanism can prove useful in the treatment of T cell proliferative disorders such as transplant rejection and autoimmune diseases.
In particular, JAK3 has been implicated in a variety of biological processes. For example, the proliferation and survival of murine mast cells induced by IL-4 and IL-9 have been shown to be dependent on JAK3- and gamma chain-signaling (Suzuki et al., (2000), Blood 96:2172-2180). JAK3 also plays a crucial role in IgE receptor-mediated mast cell degranulation responses (Malaviya et al., (1999), Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 257:807-813), and inhibition of JAK3 kinase has been shown to prevent type I hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylaxis (Malaviya et al., (1999), J. Biol. Chem. 274:27028-27038). JAK3 inhibition has also been shown to result in immune suppression for allograft rejection (Kirken, (2001), Transpl. Proc. 33:3268-3270). JAK3 kinases have also been implicated in the mechanism involved in early and late stages of rheumatoid arthritis (Muller-Ladner et al., (2000), J. Immunal. 164:3894-3901); familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Trieu et al., (2000), Biochem Biophys. Res. Commun. 267:22-25); leukemia (Sudbeck et al., (1999), Clin. Cancer Res. 5:1569-1582); mycosis fungoides, a form of T-cell lymphoma (Nielsen et al., (1997), Prac. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 94:6764-6769); and abnormal cell growth (Yu et al., (1997), J. Immunol. 159:5206-5210; Catlett-Falcone et al., (1999), Immunity 10:105-115).
JAK3 inhibitors are useful therapy as immunosuppressive agents for organ transplants, xeno transplantation, lupus, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, Type I diabetes and complications from diabetes, cancer, asthma, atopic dermatitis, autoimmune thyroid disorders, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Leukemia and other indications where immunosuppression would be desirable.
Non-hematopoietic expression of JAK3 has also been reported, although the functional significance of this has yet to be clarified (J. Immunol. 168 (2002), pp. 2475-2482). Because bone marrow transplants for SCID are curative (Blood 103 (2004), pp. 2009-2018), it seems unlikely that JAK3 has essential non-redundant functions in other tissues or organs. Hence, in contrast with other targets of immunosuppressive drugs, the restricted distribution of JAK3 is appealing. Agents that act on molecular targets with expression limited to the immune system might lead to an optimal efficacy:toxicity ratio. Targeting JAK3 would, therefore, theoretically offer immune suppression where it is needed (i.e. on cells actively participating in immune responses) without resulting in any effects outside of these cell populations. Although defective immune responses have been described in various STAT−/− strains (J. Investig. Med. 44 (1996), pp. 304-311; Curr. Opin. Cell Biol. 9 (1997), pp. 233-239), the ubiquitous distribution of STATs and the fact that those molecules lack enzymatic activity that could be targeted with small-molecule inhibitors has contributed to their non-selection as key targets for immunosuppression.
In view of the numerous conditions that are contemplated to benefit by treatment involving modulation of the JAK pathways it is immediately apparent that new compounds that modulate JAK pathways and methods of using these compounds should provide substantial therapeutic benefits to a wide variety of patients. Provided herein are novel compounds for use in the treatment of conditions in which targeting of the JAK pathways or inhibition of JAK kinases, particularly JAK3, and are therapeutically useful for the treatment of auto-immune and inflammatory diseases.